Wyclef Jean’s lawyer vows appeal of Haiti ruling

A lawyer for singer Wyclef Jean said Tuesday that the star will appeal to the Haitian courts, the country’s elections board and even international election monitors in an attempt to be included on the Nov. 28 presidential ballot.

During a news conference Tuesday, Jean Renel Senatus told reporters that his client “wants to take this case to the end.”

Jean, who was born in Haiti and left with his family to New York when he was 9, maintains that he meets the necessary residency requirements to run for president.

Last week, the country’s elections board barred Jean’s candidacy. The board did not give a reason for the rejection.

Although Jean and his lawyers have said they will appeal in court, paperwork has not yet filed. It is also unclear if an appeal is even possible under Haitian law; the elections board said there is no legal mechanism to appeal a decision.

In a radio address in Creole — one of Haiti’s official languages — Jean said the election board used “trickery” in rejecting his candidacy and asked his supporters to mobilize against the decision.